


Huntin' Sandy Claws

by orphan_account



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Case Fic, Crack, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Multi, No Sex, No Smut, No graphic sex, Swearing, no descriptive sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-21
Packaged: 2018-09-10 20:43:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8938396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Shortly before Christmas, Benny calls Dean to give him a lead on a case down in New Orleans - Santa Claus is kidnapping small children from their homes. Though Sam is reluctant, he and Dean travel down to help Benny out. While there, they discover a bit about themselves, each other, and that maybe the word monster isn’t so black and white.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for SPN Holiday Mixtape 2016.  
> Prompt/Inspired By: Kidnap the Sandy Claws (Nightmare Before Christmas)  
> Beta: wetsammywinchester (Tumblr)

“You’re shitting me.”

 

_ “I swear I’m not, brother,” _ Benny’s voice was tinny on the other end of the line.

 

“Killer Santa? Come on, Benny. You’re like a thousand years old, you know Santa’s not real.”

 

_ “Excuse me _ ,  _ ninety years, you asshole. Can I expect comp’ny or not?” _

 

Dean heaved a sigh, laughter bleeding through. “Yeah, yeah, me for sure and I’ll talk to Sam.”

 

_ “I’ll put some gumbo on for ya.” _

 

“Sure, just uh, leave out the blood.”

 

Benny was still laughing when Dean hung up.

 

“Who was that?” Sam asked when Dean walked back into the hotel room.

 

“Benny. And you’re gonna love this one. He’s got a case for us. Killer Santa.”

 

“I’m sorry?” Sam couldn’t hide the confused smile spreading on his face.

 

“I’m not kidding. He swears up and down that  _ Santa’s in N’awlins, an’ he’s killin’ chill’un, _ ” He said, putting on Benny’s accent as well as he could.

 

Sam began to laugh, putting his face in his hands. “I’m-- I’m sorry,” he finally gasped, “Has he been drinking stoners’ blood or something?”

 

“He swears it.”

 

“Santa isn’t real, Dean. We covered that fact years ago, remember?”

 

“Look,  _ something _ is dropping bodies there, Sam. We should check it out either way.”

 

“And you wanna see Benny again,” Sam teased. 

 

Dean smirked. “Jealous?” He joked, giving Sam’s foot a kick.

 

Sam’s smile wavered for a moment but he shook his head. “Dude, it’s almost Christmas. This is gonna take forever. I thought we wanted to spend the holiday relaxing, taking time off cases.”

 

“We did, but this is interesting. Plus it’s Benny. I owe him.” 

 

Sam heaved a sigh. “This Christmas is going to be miserable.”

 

Dean rolled his eyes. “You hate the holidays anyways. I know you were just doing it for me.” 

 

Sam shrugged, unable to deny that. “Okay. So, Louisiana?”

 

“Louisiana. Benny’s putting on some gumbo for us.” He clapped Sam’s shoulder before heading to pack his duffel.

 

**

 

Benny rented a small house on the outskirts of the city. He kept out of trouble, mostly off the grid except to work. 

 

When the Winchesters pulled up, he was sitting on his porch, reading the newspaper and sipping something out of a chipped black coffee mug. 

 

“Well you look absolutely domestic,” Dean teased as he climbed out of the Impala. 

 

Benny shot him an award-winning smile and stood, setting aside the paper and pulling Dean into a tight embrace.

 

“Been too long, brother,” He said, his accented voice full of affection. 

 

“It has, but you know how it is.”

 

Benny nodded, throwing a glance back at Sam as he unfolded himself from the Impala. 

 

They met in front of the car and Benny stuck his hand out. 

 

“Sam. How’ve you been?” Benny asked kindly. 

 

Sam shook his hand, eyeing the coffee mug on the porch. “Still breathing,” he said.

 

Benny glanced back to find what he was staring at. “Relax, it’s deer. I got the bones out back and the meat in my fridge if you don't believe me. I'm a whole buffalo-type vampire.” 

 

“Mhm,” Sam’s tight-lipped expression showed he wasn’t quite on board with that story. 

 

Dean cleared his throat. “So, Benny. Killer Santa Claus.”

 

Benny smirked, meeting Dean’s eyes. “I’m not kiddin’. Come on, bring your bags inside and we’ll chat.” He motioned with his arms and headed up the steps.

 

When the brothers didn’t follow, he glanced back. “Problem?”

 

“We were just gonna get a hotel,” Dean admitted.

 

“Why? Got a perfectly good spare room and a couch. Dean, you’re welcome to take my bed, I’ll stay on the couch and Sam in the spare room. Why spend money if you don’t have to?”

 

Dean looked at Sam imploringly. “He’s got a point.”

 

“He eats people, Dean,” Sam argued.

 

Benny laughed. “If you’re worried about me taking a bite out of your neck in the middle of the night, don’t be. I work during the times you boys’ll normally be sleeping. And I ain’t touched a human dinner since - well - since your hunter buddy came after me.” 

 

Both Winchesters winced visibly. Martin was a source of contention between the three, even after so many months. 

 

Sam opened his mouth to say something, but Benny raised his hand. “I don’t wanna hear it, Sam. I forgave you. You were just looking out for your brother, and it’s your job not to trust vampires. But I proved to you I was good, so extend me some measure of trust. If not as what I am, then as your brother’s friend.”

 

Sam glanced down. “You and I both know you’re more than his friend.” 

 

“And we both know you’re more than his brother. Now that we have that out of the way, do you boys wanna get in here and outta the heat before you both sweat to death? Dean looks about ready to melt in all those layers.”

 

Dean chuckled. “I feel like I’m wading through a steam room - it’s kinda nasty,” he admitted. 

 

Sam heaved a sigh but nodded, going around the back of the car and grabbing their bags. 

 

They allowed Benny to lead the way inside. The house was clean and neat, with a small living room, two neatly made bedrooms, a clean bathroom, and a tiny kitchen with a pot bubbling on the stove. 

 

“Is that what I think it is?” Dean asked, heading toward the pot.

 

Benny reached out and grabbed the collar of his coat. “It is, but you smell. Go shower. I might be a vampire but I still expect some manners at my dinner table. By the time you and your brother finish, it'll be ready to eat.”

 

Dean backed up like a scolded child. “Come on, Sam.”

 

“Dude, no. I'm not showering with you. Did you see the size of the shower? We’d never fit.”

 

Benny chuckled, “Sam’s got a valid point, chèr.”

 

Dean pulled his lip up in a grimace. “Fine, fine. I'm going.” He snagged his duffel from Sam’s shoulder and stalked to the bathroom.

 

Benny chuckled a little as he and Sam watched Dean duck into the bathroom.

 

“Don’t feel bad - I have to argue with him to get him to shower when it’s just us, too,” Sam said, shaking his head. He turned to face Benny, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. “Okay, so. Killer Santa. What do you have?”

 

“It’d be easier to show ya, I’ve been keeping track of him for a while. Come on.” 

 

Benny led him to the back of the house and into his bedroom. 

 

On the desk was a map of New Orleans with four red X’s in various locations. There were small circles in other areas, forming a crooked pattern that Sam could see from the doorway. A stack of newspaper clippings sat to the right side, and a small stack of paper filled with Benny’s blocky handwriting.

 

“Here’s everything I got so far.” 

 

Sam sat in the desk chair and began to flip through the newspaper clippings. “How long has this been happening?”

 

“One month that the cops have known, but I think two months, I have the clippings from other murders here.” He dug in a folder and dragged them out.

 

“So, they think it’s Santa?”

 

“They think it’s someone dressed in a Santa costume. But the house was locked up, and there’s no signs of forced entry. Parents heard nothing and the only time anything was out of place was the one family that had a dog.”

“What was out of place there?”

 

Benny grimaced. “Well, let’s just say they didn’t have enough dog left to have a burial.”

 

Sam mirrored Benny’s expression. “Gross. Okay. So, how do people know it’s Santa?”

 

“He hit some rich folks’ homes the past month and security cameras picked up a bearded fellow in a red suit.”

 

“Santa,” Sam said through a sigh.

 

“Yup. See now why I called you boys?”

 

“You and I both know why you called Dean,” Sam mumbled, looking through the newspapers again.

 

Benny sighed. “Sam, I know you don’t like me, but we’re gonna need to get over this little spat if we’re gonna work together.”

 

“ _ We’re _ not going to work together. Dean and I are going to work this case.”

 

“Oh? That so?”

 

“You’re not a hunter, Benny. You’re just a monster.”

 

“You know, Sam, you spit that word at me an awful lot, but I’m not sure you quite grasp the meaning of it.”

 

“I don’t? You’re fucking kidding me. You—“

 

“Something going on, guys?” Dean asked from the doorway, cutting Sam off.

 

Sam heaved a sigh. “We’re hunting a killer Santa, just like he said. He’s corporeal and kills puppies.”

 

“So, what’re we thinking? Demon? God?”

 

“Or evil Santa,” Sam said, “we don’t have enough to go on.”

 

“Well, tomorrow we’ll get our fed threads on and go chat up the law. Get in the shower.”

 

“I’m good,” Sam argued, reaching for one of the lore books on Benny’s desk. 

 

Benny’s hand came down on his wrist. “No, please go shower, Sam.”

 

“I’m not going to eat, I’m just gonna chill out in here and work.”

 

“And that’s fine. But I’m a  _ monster _ with a good sniffer. A modicum of respect in my house, please.”

 

“Fine,” Sam spat through gritted teeth. He rose and stormed out of Benny’s bedroom. Dean rolled his eyes.

 

“I’m sorry about him.”

 

“I thought you two weren’t exclusive,” Benny commented, relaxing a little when Dean’s arms curled around his waist.

 

“We’re not. But there are times I think Sam wants to be. He just won’t say anything.”

 

“Mm—chèr—not before dinner,” Benny rumbled as Dean began to kiss his neck.

 

“But I missed you.”

 

“And I missed you too, but I  _ did _ call you here for the case, despite what your brother believes.”

 

Dean heaved a big sigh, releasing Benny’s waist. “Fine, fill me in.”

 

**

 

The Winchesters spent the majority of the following day talking to the cops, grieving parents, and possible suspects.

 

That evening, they sat in the backyard of Benny’s home with him, sipping beers and listening to the crickets in the woods surrounding his property.

 

“So, what’d you boys find out?” Benny asked finally, after the brothers had been silent for nearly an hour.

 

“Well,” Dean began.

 

“It’s weird,” Sam finished.

 

“Isn’t weird kind of your guys’ wheelhouse? I mean, you are havin’ a perfectly normal evening beer with a vampire.”

 

“Weird even for us,” Dean clarified.

 

Benny scowled. “Well, color me intrigued. How weird?”

 

Sam sighed, “We went to the most recent house. Dean searched it while I talked to the parents.”

 

“And I found evidence of a shapeshifter.”

 

“Evidence?” Benny asked, smiling a little as Dean wrinkled his nose.

 

“Shifters shed their skin when they change form. Looks like this one picked up most of it, to cover its tracks I’d guess, but it missed some  with this vic.”

 

“Okay, a shapeshifter. I feel like that doesn’t exactly scream weird to you boys.”

 

“It doesn’t. We decided to check upstairs in the kid’s room, just in case there was something we missed—“ Dean continued.

 

“And we found traces of sulfur,” Sam said.

 

“Which means?” Benny questioned, looking between the brothers.

 

“A demon.”

 

“So, do demons usually work with other monsters?”

 

“Not usually,” Sam grumbled, finishing his beer.

 

“Hence, weird,” Dean said, offering a helpless shrug, watching Sam rise and walk to the cooler on the porch for a fresh bottle.

 

“So ,what do we do?” Benny asked, genuinely confused at this point.

 

Dean brought his bottle to his lips. “We’re gonna kidnap Sandy Claws,” he said before draining it down.

 

Benny was silent for a moment, waiting for laughter or—something.

 

“You’re joking,” he finally said when no punchline came. “Shouldn’t you be trying to kill him?”

 

“Yeah, but we don’t know  _ how _ ,” Sam said, sitting back down and cracking opening a beer before passing it to Dean. He opened his own before continuing, “We don’t even know what this is--a shifter, a demon, or something else entirely.”

 

“Makes no sense that it’d be a demon anyway,” Dean added, stretching his legs out and sliding down so he was sitting in the grass.

 

“And why wouldn’t it?”

 

“Because of Crowley. He’s the king of Hell. Dean and I made a deal with him.”

 

“A deal? Why would a couple of hunters make a deal with the king of Hell?”

 

“Normally, we wouldn’t. We’d try to gank his ass. But Crowley’s got a soft spot for my baby brother,” Dean teased, earning a bitchface from Sam.

 

“Anyway,” Sam continued when Dean began to laugh. “The demon deaths were getting out of hand for him, so he promised to keep them out of our way if we didn’t seek them out on purpose. They pretty much just come topside for basic deals. If one’s offing kids, that breaks Crowley’s side of the deal, and complicates things for us.”

 

“Hey, why don’t we call him?” Dean suggested, tapping Sam’s shoulder.

 

“Who? Crowley?”

 

“Yeah. I mean if this is one of his, maybe he can shed a little light on what the hell is going on.”

 

Sam shrugged. “It’s worth a shot.”

 

**

 

Crowley didn’t bother to hide his disdain when he was summoned in front of the hunters.

 

“Seriously? I thought we went our separate ways. Why—“ He stopped short when he saw Benny, sitting in the corner of the room, blade ready. “A vampire attack dog? Really, boys? You are just blurring that line even more, aren’t you?”

 

“Shut up, Crowley. You send any demons up here?” Sam spat, crossing his arms and doing his best to look intimidating.

 

“Hm? Here? Louisiana? No.”

 

Sam cocked his head, a slow smirk spreading on his face. 

 

“Crowley, we had a deal. You remember the consequences of breaking that deal, don’t you?” He spoke slowly, and Benny stepped forward, his fangs dropping at the prospect of a fight.

 

“I know, Samantha.  _ I _ haven’t broken our deal. I didn’t send a demon up here - but I never said there  _ isn’t _ one here.”

 

“Care to elaborate?” Dean asked, setting his hand on Benny’s arm to stop him from advancing further.

 

“Look, I was going to call you boys, but I wanted to try and fix it on my own first.”

 

“Fix what, Crowley?” Dean growled.

 

“A rogue demon, okay? Listen, not all of Hell is happy about my deal with you Winchesters. Some demons - they’re trying to overtake the throne.”

 

“Can’t control some demons? I thought you said this guy would be tough to kill,” Benny grumbled.

 

Crowley turned on him. “Listen to me you bloodsucking worm. I could kill you in a heartbeat if your owners didn’t have me in this Devil’s Trap. I’ve made due, okay?” He turned to Sam.

 

“Do you know how many of my own I’ve had to kill? String up? All because of this deal?”

 

“My heart’s breaking,” Sam snarked. “We’ll fix your mess, Crowley.”

 

“Tell us about this demon,” Dean added, giving Benny a sympathetic look.

 

Crowley’s eyes narrowed, watching the vampire and Dean. He laughed. “Well I never would have thought I’d live to see the day, even as a demon. Dean Winchester, the Righteous Man of God - in love with a vampire.”

 

“Not your business,” Benny snarled.

 

“Not in love,” Dean snapped at the same time. 

 

Crowley’s grin grew, his eyes landing on Sam just in time to see the pain cross his face. “And baby brother isn’t so okay with that, is he? A little jealous, eh Sam? Don’t like that your dirty secret lover is finding someone else? And a monster… Here I thought the only monster he’d ever screw is you.”

  
Sam stepped forward at the same time Benny did, crossing the trap and holding up the knife to Crowley’s throat. He placed his body protectively in front of Sam. 

 

“You don’t know a shittin’ thing,  _ demon _ ,” Benny spat. “Now tell the boys what they need to know or I will personally tear your throat out.”

 

“Oh, I’m so scared,” Crowley snarked. “Call off your dog, Winchester.”

 

“Benny, it’s okay.” It was Sam that spoke, surprising them both. He wrapped his hand around Benny’s bicep, tugging gently. “As much as that’d make me happy - we do need him.”

 

Benny backed up, standing close to Sam, making it clear he was willing to protect him, regardless of their issues.

  
Dean circled his lovers, placing one hand on Sam’s shoulder comfortingly. “Talk, Crowley, or we won’t need you.”

 

Crowley sighed, holding up his hands in surrender. “The demon goes by the name of Moloch. He’s one of the higher ranking denizens and has always had a thorn in his side about a crossroads demon taking the throne when you boys tossed Lucifer back into his cage. This is the perfect chance to usurp my power.”

 

“Moloch? Why does that name sound familiar?” Dean questioned.

 

“He was mentioned in Paradise Lost.  _ ‘First, Moloch, horrid King, besmeared with blood of human sacrifice, and parents’ tears;--”  _ Sam began.

 

_ “Though, for the noise of drums and timbrels loud, their children’s cries unheard that passed through fire to his grim idol. _ ” Benny finished. 

 

Crowley nodded. “Moose and his Vampire Bear get a cookie. He’s terrifying, and he’s dangerous.”

 

“Okay, but he’s just a demon. Shouldn’t be that hard to kill,” Dean argued.

 

“Azazel was  _ just a demon _ . Lilith was  _ just a demon _ . Alastair was  _ just a demon _ . Getting my point here?” Crowley asked, crossing his arms.

 

“Okay, we get it. So, how do we kill him?” Dean asked. 

 

“I’m not sure,” Crowley admitted, shrugging helplessly. “But, if you capture him - I can take him back to Hell and make an example out of him.”

 

“Why would they just capture him? He’s been killing  _ children _ ,” Benny snarled.

 

“Oh, look at the high and mighty vampire. You’ve never killed someone? Sunk your fangs into an innocent throat and ripped it open, bathed in the blood of your kill and laughed?” 

 

Benny looked away, his shoulders slumping a little. “I never hurt a child,” he whispered after a moment.

  
“No, but I’m sure your nest has. I know your kind, you always have at least one who’s willing to do anything for food. And you, you probably enjoyed ripping into young women, huh? Hearing them  _ scream _ .”

 

Benny shrunk even further, the words clearly affecting him.

 

“Enough, Crowley. It doesn’t matter what he did,” Sam snapped. “He doesn’t drink people now - he-- He’s changed.”

 

Dean met Sam’s gaze and Sam offered a small smile. “How can you assure us that he won’t escape again? If we do capture him for you.”

 

“Oh, I can assure you. I have a personal rack in my bedchambers to tie him to.” 

 

Dean grimaced. “Gross. Fine, how do we catch him. Will a devil’s trap work?”

 

“For a moment, maybe. He will be able to break through it, so you need more. He’s still a demon, so salt, holy water - it’ll hurt him, just not to the same degree as a run-of-the-mill demon.”

 

“Devil’s trap bullet maybe?” Sam offered.

 

“If a devil’s trap won’t hold him, why would a bullet?” Dean asked.

 

“It held Abaddon.”

 

“Yeah, and Henry died because of it. No, Sam. We’re not gonna kill ourselves just to trap this guy.” Dean shook his head furiously.

 

“Fine, what do you suggest then?” Sam asked, throwing his arms up in frustration.

 

“We’ll figure something else out.”

 

“Um, may I go?” Crowley asked, his mouth twitching into a half smile when both brothers turned on him. 

 

“No,” they said in unison.

 

“Look, you have what you can get from me. I truly don’t know much else. He prefers children; he has a flair for the dramatic.”

 

“And he’s a shifter, or working with one.” 

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

Dean sighed. “We found shifter skin at the scene along with sulfur. Is this Moloch known to work with other monsters?”

 

“What? No, good god, no. We’re demons, we don’t work with monsters. They’re scum.”

 

“Well, thanks,” Benny hissed.

 

“I’m calling it like I see it, Vampire Bear.”

 

“Enough!” Dean snapped. “Can you explain why the hell the shifter was there?” 

 

“I have no idea. It’s not like him to work with anyone, let alone a monster.”

 

“Fine. We’ll figure it out. Go away,” Dean muttered. He took the knife from Benny and scraped a line through the devil’s trap. Crowley was gone before he looked up.

 

“Well, I’m gonna start dinner for you boys,” Benny grumbled, turning and stalking to the kitchen.

 

Sam turned to follow but Dean grabbed his wrist. 

 

“Why’d you stick up for him?” 

 

Sam shrugged. “Because he’s not that bad. Just took me a while to understand him.” 

  
Dean offered a shadow of a smile. “Thank you.”

 

Sam pulled his arm free and gave a stiff nod, walking into the kitchen.

 

**

 

“We’ve got to kidnap a demon that is possibly working with a shapeshifter, or a shapeshifter that’s following a demon,” Sam said after they’d eaten. 

 

They were once again sitting in Benny’s backyard. Benny had started a small fire in his fire pit and they were lounging around it, Benny and Dean in a broken-in camping chairs while Sam opted for the ground, resting his head between Dean’s spread legs. 

 

“Or a demon following a shifter,” Dean added. 

 

“So, what are you boys gonna do?” Benny asked.

 

“Figure out a way to trap him. Then get Crowley to take him back,” Dean said, shrugging.

 

“You’re actually gonna do that? What the demon says?” 

 

“No reason not to. Crowley’s a dick, but he hasn’t broken a deal with us yet,” Sam explained. “And trapping this demon’s gonna be a helluva lot easier than killing him anyway.”

 

“We’re going to kidnap Santa Claus,” Benny said with disbelief in his voice. “And how are we going to go about doing that?”

 

“No idea. I do think we should all work together on it though, having a vampire might be useful,” Dean commented.

 

Sam nodded, adding, “Well, he likes kids. We should figure out where he’s likely to strike next, that’s step one.”

 

“I still don’t see why you don’t try to kill him - throw him in a boiling pot - that’ll kill just about anything,” Benny grumbled.

 

“As fun as that sounds, it’s not gonna kill a demon,” Dean muttered, running his fingers through Sam’s hair in thought. “Though, we could use a grenade launcher in his face. Aim it at his door and have someone knock - when he opens it up, bye bye Santa Claus.”

 

Sam scowled up at Dean. “You’re such an idiot. Think, Dean. The point is to trap him, not to blow him to smithereens. Crowley’d have our hides for that… And even then, he’d probably smoke out before we got him.”

 

“Not if the grenade had a devil’s trap on it.”

  
Sam rolled his eyes deeply, throwing his brother a bitchface. “I wish my comrades weren’t so dumb.”

 

“I ain’t the dumb one,” Benny defended, earning a smile from Sam. 

 

“You’re no fun,” Dean mumbled.

 

“Shut up,” Sam snipped.

 

“Make me,” Dean shot back.

 

“No, seriously, shut up. I’ve got a good idea now. If we can figure out where he’s going to attack, we can get the kid out of there and use a trap, like you suggested first. One of us. Demons - they don’t have any way of telling a kid from an adult until they see it, right? Especially if the kid’s under a lot of blankets or something. So why don’t we try to pinpoint a pattern to the attacks, then hide around the room. One under the blanket and the other two ready to attack. Should be easy as one, two, three.”

 

“Then what? Beat him into submission with a stick? You heard Crowley - this guy is dangerous. We shouldn’t get that close to him, Sam.”

 

“We just need to figure out a way to trap him.”

  
“That means research, right?” Benny asked, crossing his ankles and finishing the beer. 

 

“You’d be right,” Sam agreed.

 

“Well, we should get to it.” Benny slapped his knees and rose, holding his hand out to help Sam up.

 

After a brief moment of hesitation, Sam snagged it.

 

**

 

Benny glanced at the clock on his wall: eight in the morning. They’d been researching all night. He looked over and laughed a little to himself. 

 

Dean was asleep on Sam’s shoulder, a book still open on his lap and his finger still lightly running over the page like he was reading. 

 

Sam’s head kept bobbing, though he was trying his hardest to stay awake. 

 

“I think I got something, boys,” Benny said, laughing a little more when both Winchesters startled awake, Dean’s book falling from his lap with a loud thud.

  
Sam wiped his chin, fearful of drool, and cleared his throat, looking over at Benny. “Yeah?”

 

“Mhm. Listen to this,” Benny leaned closer to the book again and spoke slowly, 

 

“Moloch, He of fire and brimstone, is pure of evil and empty of heart. If one seeks to take his throne, he must be pure and smart. The man of virtue and light, free from the weight of his sins, may stop Moloch by blood shed under the watch of the night.”

 

Dean scowled. “So what? We need to have a saint’s blood or something? Are those even around anymore?”

 

“I think anyone who’s not a sinner’ll work,” Benny shrugged. 

 

“I’m not risking our lives on a maybe, Benny. I won't do that. We need another way.”

 

“Dean, it's been over twelve hours. There's barely any mention of the demon, even in obscure texts. We might have to go on a maybe.” 

 

“Sam -”

 

“I’m with Sam on this one,” Benny said softly, not backing down when Dean turned his angry glare on him. 

 

“Come on. It’s worth a shot,” Sam said. He rose and walked over to Benny, leaning over his shoulder to read through the text a little closer. 

 

“Does it make any sense to you?” Benny asked, looking over at Sam, who shrugged. He turned a little, noticing then how close he was to the vampire’s face. He moved back a few inches, his cheeks pinking up.

 

“Kinda. I think… I think I have a plan.” Sam stumbled over his words, earning a small smirk from Benny. 

 

“Care to share with the class?” Dean mumbled from behind them. 

 

Sam cleared his throat and stood, fixing his shirt. “What if we make the devil’s trap with purified blood? Like, the blood of someone who’s not a sinner.”

 

“And who the hell here isn’t a sinner?”

 

“Doesn’t confession absolve you of your sins?” Benny asked. “Been a long time since I was in a church, but as far as I know - shouldn’t somethin’ like that work?”

 

Benny looked between the brothers, smiling a little. They both wore identical scowls; it was Dean’s thinking face, and probably Sam’s as well, if Benny had to guess.

 

“You know, I think it might,” Sam finally said. “Which one of us is gonna do it?”

 

“I can’t - corrupted soul and all that - has to be one of you humans,” Benny said.

 

“I’ll do it,” Dean offered.

 

Sam nodded. “Okay, I guess we go to church then.” 

 

**

 

“Thank you, Benny,” Sam said softly while they were sitting outside the church, waiting for Dean a few days later. 

 

It had been non-stop hunting, searching for a pattern in Moloch’s kidnappings. They found it - they thought - and were preparing for the final attack, hopefully catching him. This was the first moment any of the three had time to sit and think.

 

“For what?”

 

“Being there for Dean. When I wasn’t. When I chose not to be.”

 

“Sam - you gotta quit blaming yourself for that, brother. Wasn’t your fault.”

 

“I left him to rot in Purgatory while I stayed with some girl. I’m still sick to my stomach over that. You were - are - a better lover, a better  _ brother _ , than I ever was.”

 

“You know that ain’t true.”

 

Sam turned to Benny, his eyes narrowed and wet with unshed tears. “How is it not true? He shouldn’t even be with me. He’s stuck with me cause I’m his whiny baby brother. He loves you, but I’m holding him back.” 

 

Benny turned and grabbed Sam’s shoulders. “Don’t you ever think that, Sam. Dean loves you just as much, you and me both know he’s got trouble tellin’ people how he feels. He’s got a big heart, and it holds the both of us. Don’t blame yourself, and don’t beat yourself up over this. Dean’s a big enough man to be shared… Provided you’re willin’ to share him.”

 

Sam hung his head. “I want to… But--”

 

“But you love him too much.”

 

“Yeah, I love him too much to keep hurting him. I’d like - if you want have him, as a partner… I’ll take a step back.”

  
Benny shook his head slowly. “You know Dean won’t be happy with that. He loves you too, Sam. There could be a third way.”

 

“Oh?”

 

Benny shrugged. “I know you don’t think I’m as much of a monster as you’ve been claiming. You’re startin’ to see… That I’m human where it counts. We could share him. And maybe, if it came to it -- share a bed ourselves.”

 

“You mean like -- a group, a… polygamy camp or something?”

 

Benny laughed heartily and shook his head. “I guess you’d call it that. I call it makin’ things work when the one in the middle can’t choose. You’re a good man, Sam. I wouldn’t balk at callin’ you mine too.”

 

Sam scowled. “I don’t belong to anybody.”

 

“No, and neither does Dean, but you catch my drift.”

 

Sam nodded. “I catch your drift. I don’t know, I gotta think on it. I’ve never been one to share, but… if Dean would like that - “

 

“You know your brother would love anything havin’ to do with a threesome.” 

  
Sam laughed a little, nodding. “You’ve got a point. Lemme think for a bit, and --”

 

“What’s with the sour faces?” Dean asked, startling Sam into silence. They both looked up as he hopped down the steps of the church.

 

“You sin free, brother?”

 

“Mm, pure as a baby. Better get me bled before I sin though, I’m feeling the need to dirty up all the purity,” Dean joked. 

 

Benny rose and backed away from the two. “You boys do that away from me. I pride myself on control, but an open vein is a bit like dangling a steak in front of a starvin’ dog.”

 

“Did you just liken me to a piece of meat?” Dean asked, confusion furrowing his brow.

 

“You do smell like a five-star dinner, chèr.”

 

Dean glanced at Sam. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

 

“I’m gonna say from a vampire that has had sex with you, it probably is. Come on.” Sam took him by the wrist and dragged him toward the car. “We’ll meet you back at your place,” he called back to Benny.

 

**

 

Two pints of human blood and one very detailed devil’s trap later, Moloch was safely in the hands of Crowley once again and the brothers were confined to the bedroom while Benny cooked, insisting they stay out of his way.

 

The demon had possessed a shapeshifter, effectively throwing hunters and Crowley off his trail for the most part. He’d almost slipped them again until Benny noticed the sulfuric smell emanating from his clothing.

 

Currently, Sam was stretched out on the bed next to Dean, tracing the muscle lines on his damp stomach. 

 

“Are we gonna head back to the Bunker tomorrow?” Dean asked softly. 

 

Sam looked up, brushing his damp hair out of his face. “Do you want to?”

 

“You know the answer to that, Sam.”

 

“You wanna stay with Benny a while longer.”

 

Dean sighed, sitting up and tugging the sheet up over his bare hips a little further. “Yeah, but… I know you don’t like it.”

 

Sam sat up as well, reaching off the edge of the bed. He tugged on his boxers and sighed softly, chewing his lip before speaking. 

 

“Actually, Benny and I had a talk a few days ago. When you were in the church. Um -- about him and me and you.”

 

“And?”

 

“He brought up an idea that I think might work.”

 

“What’s that?” 

 

“All of us. Together. I’ve thought about it, a lot… and I -- I think it’s an idea to consider.”

 

“You mean like, you and me and him all… Screwing around together? Sam - you hate me and Benny fucking.”

 

“No, I was jealous.  _ Am _ jealous. I care about you, and you and me have been fucking since we were teenagers. Knowing you care about someone else just as much - it stings a little  _ but _ Benny has shown me some stuff this month. That he cares for me too, even if we fight. And I do like the guy. He’s handsome and I’ve seen him take you apart in ways I can barely even begin to describe.”

 

“You watched us fuck?” Dean asked, surprised. 

 

“It was an accident,” Sam admitted, his cheeks pinking up. “I was coming to say goodnight and didn’t hear you guys until I’d already opened the door. It was kind of addicting to watch,” he said. “But, I wanted to join in. I  _ really _ wanted to join in. I don’t love Benny - I don’t know that I ever will, but sexually - I could see it working.”

 

“And Benny wants it too?”

 

“I know you’re oblivious, Dean, but you can’t tell me you haven’t noticed him this month - how he’s treated me, acted around me.”

 

“Flirting,” Dean agreed. 

 

Sam smiled a little, nodding his head. “Yeah, and I like it. It’s fun, and it’s dangerous, and I think that with the three of us, it’ll help me not be so jealous. Plus it’ll help you, because you don’t feel like you have to choose between us.”

 

“Sam, I--”

 

“I know, you don’t like talking about this stuff. You’d rather just have fun. But you can’t tell me that him and me fighting doesn’t put a strain on you. Makes you feel caught in the middle. I wanna fix that and so does he.”

 

Dean sighed, moving to tug on his own boxers and jeans. “Okay. So… You want to try the three of us. So, now what? We go out and lay it on him, or what?”

 

Sam smiled a little. “Actually I have an idea. You know it’s Christmas Eve.”

 

Dean nodded. 

 

“And you know Benny’s out there busting ass to make us a Christmas dinner. He knows we don’t celebrate it, right? I think he wants you to have that… and me, of course. I think we should give him a present.”

 

“And that present is…”

 

“Me. And you. After dinner tonight.” Sam sat up a little more, leaning close to Dean to explain his idea in detail.

 

**

 

“Benny, that meal was… Holy shit,” Dean said, leaning back and unhooking the button of his slightly too tight jeans.  

  
Benny smiled a little as he and Sam cleared the table. In true Louisiana fashion, Benny had cooked up the best meal the Winchesters had ever eaten. Seafood gumbo and boudin, the best beer he could find, and he ended the meal with bananas foster and a homemade pecan pie which Dean ate the majority of, despite complaints of being too full. 

 

“I’m glad you liked it, chèr. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to treat myself to my own dinner.” Benny opened a smaller fridge, filled with bags of blood. 

 

Sam and Dean locked gazes for a moment and Sam nodded. 

 

“Benny, hold up.”

  
Dean rose, closing the fridge door slowly. Benny frowned, passing him a confused look before Sam joined him, a soft smile on his face. 

 

“You’ve been awesome to us tonight, and this whole month - making us feel at home in your house, helping us with the case, hell, you saved my ass when that demon tried to throw me out of that window… We’d really love to return the favor.”

 

“Boys --”

 

Sam reached out, splaying his fingers over Benny’s chest. “We know you don’t drink humans anymore, but we figured, tonight is a special night. You made this amazing dinner for us, and since you can’t enjoy it yourself… You should still get to enjoy some sort of treat.”

 

“What are you two implying?”

 

“Well, assuming you can control yourself,” Dean said, a smile curving his lips, “Sam and I wanna let you drink from us tonight while we -- what was the phrase you used with Sam? Share a bed?”

 

Benny’s gaze landed on Sam, searching his face. Sam smiled, tilting his head a little to bare his neck. “I thought about what you said in front of the church. And you’re right. This is the best way for all of us.”

 

“Sam--”

 

“If you want it,” Dean said. “The Bunker is open to you too - if you wanna travel with us. Hunting isn’t much fun for a vampire, I’m sure, but the offer’s on the table. If not, then you can enjoy this tonight at least.”

 

Benny’s shoulder’s relaxed a little, seeing no resistance in either human. He allowed them to guide him into the bedroom, a little shocked that either agreed to this - but not disappointed by any means. 

 

As clothes disappeared and the room fell silent, save for soft noises of need and pleasure, the pieces fell into place for each man, the three fitting together in a sort of crooked puzzle, providing, giving, and taking equally. 

 

It turned out to be a delightful Christmas after all. 


End file.
